The Single White Rose of a Tainted Soul
by MayuneSpirit
Summary: Yuffentine fanfiction. About the time Vincent was gone in the end of DOC, and about his return, how Yuffie takes it all and how their feelings reach their final development. : Rated M for future language. NOTICE: FIRST CHAPTER REVISED. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1, revised

A/N: I am re-writing this whole story. -_- I re-read the first chapter, and realized it was way too short and messy to even call a chapter! I messed up, since I had to re-arrange some things when first writing, so it didn't make sense at some parts. I'm sorry if you liked it better before than from what I write now, but I need to do this for my own calm of mind… ^^'

Oh, and before I forget, could someone tell me if the "On the way to a smile: Case of Yuffie" story, along with all the other character cases are fanfiction or real? I think they're real, and if they are there was a cute Yuffentine moment I found. (: Thank ya'!

Stirring in her confident of warm, white blankets, Yuffie opened her eyes slowly, meeting the glare of the cloud covered sun illuminating through the window. She watched silently as the rain drops hit the glass, racing down for the window seal; picking which drop she thought would win, she waited for the outcome before hearing what had woke her up in the first place; the soft clanking of shot glasses knocking together as Tifa cleaned up downstairs, awaiting the late night traffic in Seventh Heaven bar.

Her eyes drifted, locking on the tall wooden door across the room from her. She still felt the same as she had yesterday, although she couldn't place an emotion to what it was. Her stomach felt light, not in the best way; her normally optimistic mood—truthful or not—seemed to dissipate within an instant, a moment she couldn't place a time to. It felt like she had been feeling like this her whole life. She seemed to forget how to act the way she normally did, like she had lost all hope of being herself again.

Sighing, Yuffie pulled back to hide her face under the blanket once more, tightening her grip on the soft fabric as images flew through her mind.

///

_ "You don't look too ruffed up…" Yuffie's voice seemed to carry through the metal hallways as she straightened up to look at the man in front of her. _

_ His gaze seemed to soften, "neither do you." His voice followed hers quietly against the walls, making their surroundings seem even colder. Yuffie kept her gaze locked with his, noticing the difference in how he treated her compared to how he did when she was 17. They stood in silence for a few moments more, before continuing down the hall to where their enemy waited. _

///

She gritted her teeth unconsciously, a habit she seemed to have picked up quite recently.

///

_ They stood together in the green illuminated room, turning in surprise to the sudden noise. Yuffie's silent relief of knowing he was okay quickly disappeared as she stared in slight shock at the green beam flaring towards them. Before she had time to react, she felt his hands grasp her shoulder and hip, pushing her out of the way. She landed on the floor away from danger, as she saw the sight of him taking the full front of the attack._

_ "Vincent…!" Her voice cracked in desperation as she took a step towards him before being forced to jump away from another extracting beam. _

///

Sighing, she slipped out from under the covers. He had been gone ever since his battle as Chaos. She had no idea what happened, where he had gone _if_ he had survived.

///

_Yuffie ran into the Seventh Heaven bar, almost knocking a stool over as Tifa turned to greet her. Shelke, having stayed to wait for his arrival before continuing on with the life she had left behind, sat in the far corner of the bar. Yuffie tried to ignore her as she passed; she didn't hate her, but they weren't the best of friends considering how Yuffie slapped her in rage over Shelke's sister's death. _

_ "Any word from Cloud…?!" Her voice came out making her sound much more concerned than she had let on as she leaned forward for an answer. Holding her hopes high, something she needs to learn not to do, she waited for the reply she was almost positive would be good. _

_ But it wasn't. Tifa shook her head, "no, they haven't found anything." Leaning back, Yuffie kept her composure, difficult to do when such high hopes crash down into the abyss. _

_ Crossing her arms she replied normal, "ain't gonna make this easy for us, is he?" _

_ Tifa talked with her, seeming not to notice as Yuffie's cheerful exposure began to silently waver. _

///

She stepped onto the cold floor, feeling a shiver shoot through her leg as her toes touched the tarnished wood. She kept her eyes locked on the sky through the rain drop covered window, trying her best not to look down at the walkway to the bar.

_ He'll come when you least expect it!_ She thought to herself, placing each hand on the window seal. The rain seemed to pick up, making louder and quicker taps against the glass. Her stomach felt light, which she soon identified to being hungry.

_It's been two days…since I've eaten. _Making a note to fix that,she looked down quickly before averting her eyes back towards the sky. Still nothing; No one was there. He was still gone, and she still felt empty. She had been so bored, the day they reunited, on her mission with Reeve. Seeing Vincent in trouble, she didn't even think of a plan, she simply acted on instinct. All she knew was, Vincent was in trouble, and only she could save him. Seeing him again, talking to him again, it made her so happy; not that she understood why. She felt like a 17 year old again, announcing herself with such pride. Not that he seemed all that happy to see her, even for Vincent.

///

_ Vincent spoke coldly to Yuffie and Elena's kidnapper, turning his head away in disinterest, "I don't care what you're doing, so much as the idiotic way you're doing it." _

///

Even when she was in trouble, back then, he didn't even care. Yuffie closed her eyes as she remembered how serious he was, he truly did not care that she had been kidnapped.

She shook her head, _what am I thinking? That was over two years ago! He's changed and so have I!_ Even thinking that way, she couldn't laugh, or smile. Not truthfully, anyways.

Her stomach growled in a loud protest that she go get some food. She sighed, turning to walk out, but stopped to glance at the mirror quickly. Her hair was a little messy, a few tuffs sticking out here and there; she wore a white thick strapped tank top and baggy black shorts. Her normal attire was probably washed and dry by now, but for sleeping basically two days straight; comfort is a nice thing to have. She sighed, pulling her shirt down past her belt loops to straighten out the wrinkles. Her appearance has become something she cares a bit more about, growing up tends to do that so people, and certain people.

She kept her footsteps silent as she descended the stairs, but somehow Tifa knew she was coming. She waited at the bottom, her hands seeming dead at her sides. Her expression looked like a mix between shocked and worried, but that soon disappeared as Yuffie reached the last step, being met by an embracing hug from Tifa.

"Are you alright?" Her voice was muffled by the crook in Yuffie's neck as Tifa tried to reach above it but failed because of the height advantage the stairs gave Yuffie.

"Uh…" Yuffie looked around the room, not meeting anyone's gaze; she looked for words, building up her false happiness, "yeah! I'm perfectly fine. What's got you so worried?" She smiled at Tifa as she pulled back.

"Yuffie…you've been in your room for two whole days…you…I was so worried, everyone was! We didn't know if you were sick, or what…you never talked to me when I came into check on you, you just…you…" Tifa stumbled on her words, trying to contemplate the situation as best she could. She shook her head, hugging Yuffie again.

"Tifa…" Yuffie tried to come up with an excuse, but what could she say? She hardly remembered Tifa coming in the room, she felt like she hadn't even been there the past two days. Her mind was so distant that she didn't even realize how worried she was making everyone.

Tifa stepped back, smiling, "you must be hungry."

Another loud growl answered her before Yuffie could; laughing, Tifa walked towards the bar.

"I was just about to bring this to you, actually." She spoke, gesturing towards a plate on the countertop, emitting steam from the freshly made food. Yuffie forced a smile, a bit curious as to how easily Tifa could laugh in a situation like their own.

"Thanks," she sat in one of the stools, idly twisting strands of her hair around her finger, "I'm probably gonna take a shower after this, is…" she tried to make casual conversation leading up to what she wanted to ask.

"Cloud and the others are coming by to pick Shelke up soon." Tifa seemed to know what she wanted to say already, something Yuffie didn't seem to notice as she perked up in response to that name.

"Shelke? Why?" she spoke through a mouthful of food, hiding it with her hand.

Tifa seemed to hesitate, as she let out a sigh; "they, um, know where Vincent is." Yuffie's hand that had been leading another bight of food stopped, dropping the fork abruptly.

_Keep your composure! _"Um, what does that have to do with Shelke…?" part of her felt like she didn't want to know the answer, while another felt like she needed to.

"They're going to send her in to get him. Cloud thinks she's the first person he should see after being with Lucretia's…anyways, it's just what Cloud thinks should be done." Tifa avoided eye contact with her friend, not sure about what reaction she should expect.

"Oh..that's nice. Good to know he's not just lying somewhere dead." Yuffie looked down at her lap, "I'm going to go take a shower. Thanks for the food."

Before Tifa could answer, Yuffie was gone.

She ran into the bathroom, closely avoiding slamming the door as she leaned against the rough wood, her hands still grasping the doorknob.

_Lucretia…and Shelke… _Her heart seemed to sink as she thought of each woman. _Even if she is actually 19, Vincent wouldn't fall in love with a girl who looked like she was 10, right? But, she will be alive forever… _Yuffie shook her head abruptly.

"What on Earth are you thinking?" She laughed half heartedly, "what do you care if he falls in love with her? It'll be good for the guy, he's too dark and gloomy for his own good!" Her smile darkened as she let her head fall, "it's not like you'd ever want him for yourself, so just get over whatever your problem is!" Even with her own self encouragement, she felt sick to her stomach.

Turning the water on to a nice temperature, she put the stopper in for her bath, hoping to wash away all the confusing feelings that consumed her conscience. She watched as the water filled up to the brim, then stepped in, wincing a bit at the heat. Breathing in the steam, she brought her knees up to her chest and placed her forehead on her kneecaps. Her eyes filled with tears, from the steam of course, she would never cry over something as simple as this.

She shook her head as her nose lightly touched the tip of the water, she let out a sigh, trying to assure her old self back with words.

"You're not in love with Vincent Valentine."

A/N: Much better, yes?


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a while since Yuffie learned of Vincent's whereabouts. She finished with her bath, and slipped into a soft white t-shirt that reached her knees. She could feel herself slipping back into the empty shell she'd grown accustom to as she drew pictures with her index finger on the hardwood floor. She sat on the floor in the middle of the room, her knees pressed up to her chest, the side of her face pressed against them. Both of her arms lay dead by her sides, other than the soft movements made as she continued drawing absentmindedly.

"Welcome back…" Tifa's voice echoed through the vent quietly.

"Damn far trip! And so many fucking obstacles for the Highwind, I've never had such a hard time flying; 'course I did an excellent job though." Cid's voice, as well as the snort Barret gave in response echoed Tifa's even louder.

Her fingers stopped, as she touched the crack in the wood, staring at it as if she thought if she stared long enough she could see through. Right beneath her, separated by mere wood, was Vincent.

"Where's the brat?" Barret's voice snapped her out of her trace in an instant, a familiar feeling of irritation began to bubble past her shell in response to her too common nickname.

"She's in her room…" Yuffie focused her attention more, trying to make out what Tifa said, "Vincent…why don't you go see her? I'm sure it would make her happy." Tifa's voice got a bit louder, making her words very clear and very unnerving to Yuffie.

_'What? No! Don't send him up here!' _Yuffie suddenly became very agitated and nervous as she stood up abruptly, running to her dresser. She searched through her drawers for her normal attire before realizing it was still in the wash—or most likely sitting in the basket, waiting to be picked up--.

_ 'Guess there's no escaping through the window without my things…' _She laughed a little at her overreaction, actually planning to jump out the window and run away from her problems; very unlike her.

A soft knock ruptured through her mind, unnerving her so much, one would forget she was a ninja. She looked at the door, her eyes shifting down to the two shadows of his feet cast underneath.

"….." She opened her mouth, trying to form words but failed miserably.

Another soft knock, "Yuffie…?" His low voice passed through the door, making her stomach turn.

_'He's really…back…safe…' _Unconsciously deciding to simply wait for him to figure she was sleeping, she waited for the two casted shadows to walk away. But of course, Yuffie didn't have much luck.

The doorknob began to turn, the soft click it made caused Yuffie to jump, and without thinking she ran to her bed, lying on top of the covers, curled up on her side, she closed her eyes softly.

She could feel the door open, exposing the man behind it. So much, she wanted to open her eyes and see him, but something made her stay in her fake sleep.

"…Yuffie I saw you run to the bed." He spoke bluntly, showing no signs of confusion.

Still, she kept up the act. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest as minutes passed, and he stayed put in the doorway. She could feel his crimson eyes on her, making it even harder to open her eyes.

"Yuffie" his voice came, much closer. Yuffie jumped slightly, suddenly realizing he was only feet away from her.

Finally, she opened her eyes, locking contact with his. He looked exactly the same, half of his face hidden as he looked down at her.

Faking a yawn, "oh, Vincent," she kept up her act; sitting "tiredly" up in bed, she looked at him with an equally blank expression.

"Yuffie, what are you doing? It's hardly time for you to sleep; don't you usually stay up with the others until you pass out downstairs?" His voice was level as he kept his eyes locked on hers.

"I guess things change," she replied coldly, and obviously insisting something.

"It hasn't been that…" Vincent stopped, wisely. "Are you going to come downstairs, or do I have to return to the others alone?"

Yuffie's face finally betrayed her emotion, caught off guard at his request.

"I'm not…dressed…" she mumbled, tugging at the sides of her long t-shirt, "Barret and Cid'll make fun of me."

Vincent chuckled softly without a smile, something Yuffie had gotten used to, "I'll wait outside the door." And with that, he made his way to the hall way, closing the door without a sound.

Yuffie watched him, trying not to smile before she shook her head.

_'I'm still mad at him!' _she thought stubbornly as she slipped on a pair of black jean shorts, and a form fitting blue shirt, that with Yuffie's constant movement, always made its way to hug up around the mid part of her stomach. But she didn't mind; considering it was the style she usually preferred.

"Okay…" she said, a bit too quiet, as she opened the door to see Vincent leaning against the wall across from her. He nodded, gesturing for her to go first.

"Um…Vincent…?" she didn't move from her spot, leaned against her door with her arms folded behind her back. "I…why didn't you contact us…why were you go-" she stopped looking down as a blush spread across her face.

_'Stupid mouth, I shouldn't have said that!' _She lectured herself, as the silence grew even more unbearable.

"Yuffie…" he came closer, stopping in front of her as she refused to look up. He sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder softly before turning to face the staircase. Yuffie suddenly realized how loud it was downstairs, AVALANCHE's voices echoing happily through the bar. She looked up, locking her eyes on Vincent's claw.

_'Just do it…' _she pushed off the wall, making her way to Vincent's side.

"Come on, Vinnie! If we stay up here too long, they'll start thinking weird things." Yuffie said shamelessly as she smiled through her sorrow at him, taking his gauntlet into her hand; the feeling of leather and metal against her palm was more comforting than she'd ever imagine.

His eyes seemed to widen just slightly at the gesture, unable to respond as Yuffie pulled him with him down the stairs.

Halfway down the stairs, Yuffie caught sight of Shelke who was sitting alone in the corner of the bar. Just as their eyes met, Yuffie dropped Vincent's hand without thinking. Her sorrow began to tug at the brim of her false happiness as she remembered who it was who went to get Vincent.

_'Does that mean she's more important to him than me? Is this something someone on the side like Cloud even knows?' _Lost in thought, Yuffie missed the last step, falling forward. She closed her eyes, waiting for impact.

None.

Turning her head from her awkward position of levitating over the floor, Yuffie saw Vincent's bare hand holding onto her arm. He pulled her up, helping her get her footing back on the floor.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, walking over to Tifa.

/ / /

Vincent watched quietly as Yuffie went to talk to Tifa. She was different from when she had been such a short time ago; not in a way that she really has changed like she insisted, but in a way that worried him.

Had he really worried her this much? Certainly someone like Yuffie wouldn't act this way just because they were a bit concerned.

"What's wrong, Vincent Valentine?" Shelke's voice sounded like an echo as his focus was unwillingly brought away from Yuffie.

"Nothing" he answered simply, glancing at her quickly before shifting his gaze to the light that beamed softly through the windows.

Shelke tilted her head, before looking over at Yuffie who now stood with Barret and Cid, arguing over something she didn't care to know about.

"I see" she said, knowing more than even Vincent at the time, "well, when you realize what it is, I may be of some help if you'll let me." She said, smiling softly at him before walking over to the table that was now joined with Red XIII.

Vincent kept his gaze on the window's light, hiding his confusion about what Shelke had said.

"Vinnie! Tell them nothing gross happened!" Yuffie shouted from where she stood, trying to dismiss the teasing she was receiving from Cid and Barret.

Slightly unsure about what she had labeled 'gross' Vincent joined the three, confirming that nothing 'gross' had happened.

/ / /

Everything seemed at ease in the 7th Heaven bar; Shelke and Red XIII conversed quietly, Tifa, Cloud, and Reeve talked about upcoming missions, Cid and Barret argued—mostly about Cid's cigarette smoke 'suffocating Barret to death', and Yuffie and Vincent both stood next to each other, enjoying the shared silence to certain extents, with Yuffie chiming in every few minutes.

Vincent was back, and he was with her. So what if Shelke was more suited for him, or the one he will care for most, he was with _Yuffie_ right now. And she couldn't ask for anything more at the moment that would make her happier.

"Hey, Vinnie?" she chirped, leaning forward to look him in the eye.

"Yes, Yuffie?" He asked, gazing back at her.

She giggled, "nothin'" she said in a sing song voice, ignoring his quirked eyebrow.

And on another plus side, he sure did say her name unnecessarily a lot, and he made it sound about 10 times prettier. Yuffie still felt that small empty feeling, but at the moment, her happiness was true.

"Hey, Yuffie?" Vincent called, turning his head to look at her.

"Yeah, Vinnie?" She asked curiously, a bit self-conscious—another first for Yuffie.

He looked at her for a few more moments, "nothing" he replied in a mono-tone.

Yuffie felt like she had been caught in the act of something, which was ridiculous! He didn't know what she was thinking…

"Hey, Vinnie…" she whined, "are you making fun of me?" poking him in the chest she forced a stern look.

Again, he chuckled without smiling, "of course not Yuffie."

Yuffie pouted, crossing her arms against her chest.

Leaning against the wall, she turned her head away from him to hide the bright smile that was tugging at the sides of her mouth.

She finally felt herself returning; finally she was smiling freely without having to force it.

Finally, she was happy again, with Vincent by her side.

* * *

A/N: I liked how this chapter turned out. (:

Warning though, if Cid and Barret are out of character, I am very sorry, I'm not too good with their personalities. .

Reviews please! Sorry this took so long.

I'll try to get the next one out sooner!

~Mayune


	3. Chapter 3

Yuffie tugged on the ends of her shirt, making sure it stayed in place of where it was clasped down. Finally, her normal attire was in her possession again; She pouted, rubbing her thumb over the orange strap slung over her shoulder, noticing the slight stain left from battle that Tifa couldn't seem to get completely clean.

_'Perfect attire for a princess…' _she mocked, grabbing her cloth yellow pouch and fastening it to her waist before continuing out of her room, and down the stairs.

"Oh, Yuffie? I'm impressed, we were expecting to have to wait another hour or two for you to wake up, and you're already dressed for the day?" The soft clink of Reeve's cup rang in her ears as he spoke.

"I have a headache…" She complained, slouching in the stool next to Reeve. The rest of the bar seemed empty…

"Wait, we? What's going on, why were you waiting for me to get up?" Yuffie's voice was scratchy, probably signs of an upcoming cold, as she looked around the room.

"Yes, Vincent and I. I have a mission for the two of you." Reeve smiled at her, taking another sip of his drink.

Yuffie looked around, "um…where is he then?"

"Oh," Reeve chirped, "he's outside I think, he'll probably be in soon. Anyway, about the mission…" Reeve continued to speak, unknowingly tuned out by Yuffie.

_'My head hurts really bad…' _She thought, slouching further in her seat.

"…so with the two of you there, and having accomplished that, we'll…Yuffie?" Reeve's voice began to make more sense than just adjacent mumbles, Yuffie tried to block it out again.

_'He's talking too loud…I think I'm gonna faint…' _She closed her eyes tight, trying to ignore the echoing noises around her.

Everything was black behind her eyelids, the lack of light making the pounding pain quiet down a bit, but even so, the longer she waited, the more painful it became.

She gripped the side of her head, putting pressure on her temple.

"Yuffie?" Reeve's voice came into full focus again.

Opening her eyes, she turned her head to see him.

"Sorry…migraine," She smiled.

Reeve sighed, "were you even listening to what I said?"

Yuffie ignored him again, turning in response to the door of the bar opening. Vincent walked in, seeming to watch his feet as he walked. Yuffie noticed the weather behind him, rain flying diagonally with the rough wind, and rolling thunder that seemed to go on for a while before finally settling. Vincent's hair was soaked, strands stuck to the sides of his face and neck. His cloak seemed to follow him closely, leaving a puddle of water behind him.

"Morning Vinnie," Yuffie winced at how loud she said it. She put her hand to her head again, looking away.

"Morning, Yuffie" he said after hesitation, "what's wrong with your head?"

"She has a migraine." Reeve noted through taking another sip of his drink, that Yuffie finally presumed to be coffee.

Vincent didn't reply, he simply went over to the two, standing to Reeve's other side.

"Will we be leaving for the mission now, then?" He asked, no concerns about the weather.

Yuffie wanted to yell in protest, but chose not to anger her headache once more.

"Yes, you'll take the chocobos. We'll need the advantage in transportation, in case something were to happen and we had to get to you two as soon as possible. I hope that-"

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Yuffie yelled, ignoring the screaming pain she felt in her head, "Have you not seen the weather out there?! How can you expect me to-" trying to stand, Yuffie stumbled, just barely catching herself.

"Yuffie?" Reeve spoke, ignoring her sudden outburst, "are you sure you're even well enough for this mission?"

"Huh…?" Yuffie stuttered, "um, that depends, what's the mission?" She asked innocently.

"…you really weren't listening to me, then." Reeve mumbled, standing up. "I need more coffee for this." He walked over to the coffee maker.

"Wha—hey! I was talking to you…" stumbling again, Yuffie drifted forward, losing all grip on her muscles as she fell into what seemed like soft, damp fabric.

"Yuffie?" Vincent asked, looking down at her.

Yuffie turned her head up, feeling her eyes droop as she rested her chin on Vincent's chest.

"l'm all wet now…" she complained, still resting against him.

_'I feel really sick…' _Her thought seemed to echo in her mind, as she leaned further into Vincent as her energy seemed to drift away. Vincent wrapped on arm around her waist, giving her more support.

"Reeve, I think I should go alone." Yuffie could hear Vincent's voice emitting from his chest as she leaned the right side of her face into the red cloth, avoiding the buckles.

"Is she okay?" This time, it was Reeve's voice, sounding from behind her.

"I'm fine…." She mumbled in a high pitched sigh.

"Oh, I see. So you're simply taking advantage of Vincent then?" Reeve teased, trying to hide his amusement.

Yuffie turned to glare at him, "I was perfectly fine falling on the floor, Vincent just got in the way." She grumbled through the damp cloth.

"Yuffie," Vincent spoke, looking down at the young ninja, "can you stand?"

Yuffie tried to perk up, as she stood straight, "yeah! Sorry, guess I'm still tired." She smiled, bouncing her arms around as she made her way to the stool, stumbling the entire time.

"Yuffie" Reeve questioned, but sighed. "Fine, now, about the mission. It's simple, some high rate drug dealers in Nibelheim have decided to add a toxin to whatever they're selling. There have already been over 20 deaths as a result. I want you and Vincent to go in and stop them; now, if anything happens, you'll contact Tifa, and she and Cloud will be sent in. So on and so forth, you'll have backup if things end up for the worst when she and Cloud come in. Hopefully and doubtfully, you won't need any in the first place." Reeve took a large gulp of his coffee, making a face at its bitter taste before adding more sugar to it absentmindedly.

"…you really need to send two AVALANCHE members in after drug dealers?" Yuffie mumbled, from her spot at the bar, her face pressed into the cold surface.

"Well, considering how long this has gone on with no one even knowing _what _the drug is, I have a feeling it may be more than simple drug dealers…" Reeve replied, trying his coffee again.

"Ugh, fine. We leaving now, Vinnie?" She mumbled half heartedly, reaching for her shuriken.

Vincent hesitated as she wobbly made her way to the door, "yes" he answered simply, looking at Reeve.

"Keep an eye on her." Reeve told him through taking another sip of his coffee, finally seeming satisfied with its taste.

Vincent nodded before turning to follow Yuffie out the door.

Two chocobos were tied to the post of the bar's railing, ready to leave with the two members of AVALANCHE; one incredibly calm and collected, swiftly glancing at the other ever few seconds for her own well-being, the other stumbling to the chocobo, holding on to everything around her for support.

"Yuffie, really, I can do this on my own. You shouldn't be going on a mission in your state." Vincent insisted as he untied the larger chocobo's ties.

"Vinnie, really," Yuffie mimicked, "I'm fine. I'm just sleepy, is all." She smiled at him, struggling to climb atop her chocobo. Vincent watched wearily as she finally managed to bring her other leg around the large bird's back, taking the reins and smiling proudly down at him.

"See?" She mused; placing her shuriken into a holder on the chocobo's right hip.

Without an answer, Vincent urged the chocobo to move forward, motioning softly for Yuffie to follow.

"I guess riding these big birds isn't so bad," Yuffie mumbled, half to herself, as she pressed her face into the chocobo's feathered neck, "at least I won't get sick this way…"

"You're already sick." Vincent replied, not taking his eyes off the rode in front of them.

"I told you, I'm fine" Yuffie grumbled, turning her head away from the man.

Vincent glanced at her from the corner of his eye, she sat awkwardly placed on the large bird, her arms hanging lazily to the sides, head and shoulders sliding slowly to the right side; forcing her to adjust every now and then. He sighed to himself, forcing his gaze away.

"Don't you think you should watch the road?" He asked, although meaning for it to be more like a statement.

Without a word, surprisingly, Yuffie took the reins and stretched her arm out towards him, earning a questioning look from the gunman. Sighing loudly, she turned to look him in the eye.

"Could you please lead this dumb bird for a while? I just need a bit of sleep, and I should be better in no time…" her voice was mumbled by the feathers that hid her lips from him; he looked at her for a few moments more before tugging his own reins to bring his chocobo closer so he could take hold of the reins. He pulled on the leather, bringing both rein together, along with bringing her own chocobo closer to him.

Yuffie suppressed a surprised gasp as her leg brushed against his. They were both soaking wet, something she just now realized as she noticed how wet the leather of his pants were. She took notice to how annoyingly stuck her hair was to her face; strands streaming down her cheeks and forehead, with a few making their way into the corners of her mouth. She pushed her hair back, turning her head around after feeling how hot her cheeks were from the blush that spread across her cheeks each time their legs touched with the bounce of the chocobo's stride.

Soon taking comfort in her position, Yuffie drifted into a soft sleep. The sound of the rain and the pounding of her migraine finally beginning to fade, she was able to appreciate the situation.

She was on a mission with _him_.

Smiling, Yuffie's sleep grew deeper, all conscious thoughts fading; she was left alone with dreams of nothing but finding happiness and fear from the strangest things possible that one could not think of on their own.

"Yuffie?" Vincent's voice rang through her head, reminding her of the stubborn headache she had. But still, despite the pain in her right temple, she wanted to hear his voice.

"Yuffie" there it was again!

_'I'm asleep, then? Yeah…asleep on the chocobo…' _Yuffie was almost completely out of it as she snuggled closer to the warmth of the chocobo's feathers.

"Yuffie…" Vincent's voice finally brought her out of it as she grasped her shoulder. She turned to look at him, her eyes drooping, threatening to close again.

"…where are we…?" she managed, rubbing her eyes stubbornly, attempting to ignore the throbbing pain that seemed to grow worse.

"We're stopping here for the night," Yuffie suddenly realized that Vincent was raising his voice, trying to beat the sound of the wind's angry howls, "the weather has gotten much worse."

Yuffie looked lazily up to the small, rundown hotel Vincent had chosen.

_'…great…' _She groaned, slipping off the chocobo and gripped her shoulders out of reaction to the cold wind.

"Let's just get inside! This place better have heating…" She complained, almost positive it wouldn't.

And of course, it didn't.

"This place is freezing, Vinnie!" Yuffie hissed, hugging herself, shivering.

"I'm sorry, but it didn't look like there would be anywhere else to stop for a while to come." He answered, walking up to the desk, continuing to speak with the clerk.

Yuffie looked around the lobby with a scowl on her face. The only people other than them and the clerk were two men sitting alone by the fireplace, seeming to be talking about her as they continued to whisper something, smile, and then look at her.

_'Gross old lechers' _she wanted to scream that, but her headache had gotten even worse, and all she wanted to do was get into her room, and sleep; despite how cold it was.

"Yuffie" Vincent questioned, looking from her to the men she was staring at. He sighed irritably, before handing a small key to her, "let's go to our rooms." He spoke quietly, not leaving his gaze from the men. Making a note to watch out for them when they were around Yuffie, he led her up the stairs and to her room.

"Mine is a few doors down. Remember to call me if something happens…" He spoke to her, but kept his gaze on the door that led to the staircase.

Tilting her head, Yuffie nodded, unsure what his problem was.

"Night, Vinnie." She mumbled, just happy to finally have a room with a soft bed.

"Goodnight, Yuffie." His voice faded as he made it to his room. Yuffie watched, making sure which door was his, just in case. His comment about something happening had made her nervous.

She sighed, stumbling over to her bed.

_'Should I use a heal material for my head…? Would that work…? No… don't waist it on that… just need to sleep…" _pulling her legs up to her chest, absently tucking the blankets around herself, she fell once again into a calm sleep; taking in everything that happened the past while, starting with everything happy.

Then ending with everything broken, and remembering the empty feeling that consumed her while Vincent was no longer with her.

* * *

A/N: This was my longest chapter so far! Sorry they're all kinda short, I'm gonna start working on it as I go along.

I hope you guys enjoyed! I'll update as soon as possible, but remember—Reviews keep me going. : 3

Thanks for reading my story, and keeping up with it so far!


	4. Chapter 4

_The sounds of clocks ticking filled the atmosphere as Yuffie stood alone in a grassy field. She stood, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. It was like looking through a camera with the sun's glare blinding you, but instead of simply changing the camera's setting, or blocking the light, the light ceased to leave. But even so, it didn't hurt her eyes, and her migraine seemed to be gone, thankfully. _

_ Yuffie walked forward, she felt weightless, each step just barely brushing the tips of the grass. _

_ "Time is running out, Yuffie…" Yuffie turned around, the feeling gone, as she crashed down onto the field. The soft, high pitched voice continued. _

_ "Run away, Yuffie, time is running out, Yuffie…" She sat alone in the field, searching her surroundings for the source of the voice, but instead found something else. _

_ The grass began to grow taller, joined by beautiful white flowers and dandelions. Smiling, Yuffie picked up the small cotton flower weed, and brought it to her lips, blowing softly. _

_ Each soft seed flew out in every direction, coming to land on the petals of flowers. _

_ "No time to waist, Yuffie…" The voice came again, bringing Yuffie's attention back to searching for a source. Coming into view was a white porch swing, placed in the middle of thousands of flowers, all different colors. Sitting on the bench, was a small young girl with pale blonde hair. Yuffie walked towards her, feeling no fear. The girl simply smiled at her, motioning for Yuffie to join her on the swing. _

_ Yuffie nodded, a smile placed upon her lips as she sat next to the girl. They began to swing, the warm touch of sun kissing Yuffie's bare shoulders. The girl wore a white, flowing dress that hugged her around the waist then released to fall around her knees, while Yuffie wore the same. Feeling at ease with the young girl, Yuffie closed her eyes, smiling. _

_ As she opened her eyes, the glare of the sun was gone as clouds filled the sky. Yuffie looked around, her smile fading as she watched the field of flowers die. Turning to face the girl, Yuffie saw that she had changed. _

_ Her smiling face was replaced by a scowl, as the young girl with pale blonde hair stood to her feet, seeming to be in slow motion. She turned to Yuffie, moving her mouth as if yelling. _

_ Yuffie shook her head, she tried to speak, 'I can't hear you…', but no words came out. _

_ "Time is running out, Yuffie…" The voice echoed through Yuffie's once perfect world, as the young girl continued to yell without a voice. Yuffie clasped her hands to her head, wanting to cry but finding no tears. _

_ "Open your eyes, Yuffie…" the voice called again, still without a face to match. _

_ Yuffie looked up, catching sight of crimson red in the distance. She stood up, and ran without thinking, as if a child afraid of their own imagination; she stumbled, managing to catch herself, and ran faster. _

_ 'Vincent!' She wanted to call his name, make him turn around and come to her aid, but she still found no voice. _

_ "You're running towards the enemy, Yuffie…" The voice grew louder, but still remained calm. _

_ Yuffie shook her head as she finally seemed to be closing the distance between her and the gunman. _

_ She reached for him, brushing the fabric with her fingers before he disappeared; she stopped abruptly, falling to her knees, holding her hands out in front of her. Her eyes wide in distress, Yuffie began to sob. _

_ "Turn around, Yuffie…" The voice commanded, and Yuffie did so, only to be answered with the single sound of a gunshot, and the piercing pain in her stomach. _

/ / /

Yuffie shot up in her bed, clenching her side. Her breaths were quick and raspy as she looked franticly around her room.

No field, no girl, and no voice; she was back in the small, cold hotel room. She looked down at herself, realizing she had gone to bed without changing. Sighing, she turned her attention to the clock, filling with a slight rage as the clock blinked repeatedly, "12:00".

"Figures the clock wouldn't be set," she mumbled, slipping out of bed and onto the cold floor. The light outside was still dark, but she felt wide awake; probably due to her nap on the chocobo.

The soft knocking on her door made her jump violently, putting a bit of shame to her title as a ninja. She laughed bitterly as she walked to the door, standing on her tippy toes to find that the door had no peek hole.

She unlocked the bolt, leaving the chain lock in place, and opened the door as far as the small rusted chain would allow.

"Vincent?" She called, figuring she must have screamed in her sleep and alerted him or something.

But instead, she saw two men standing on the other side, smiling down at her.

"Sorry if we woke you, miss," the one to the right said, never losing his creepily kind smile, "but we're going around seeing if anyone wants to join us for a game of cards downstairs? We need a few more players, and we'd be _real _happy if you did." He seemed to suppress a laugh, alarming Yuffie even more.

"Um, sorry sirs, but do you have any idea who I am?" Yuffie growled, trying to sound threatening.

"Oh," the one on the left chirped, faking suspicion, "who?"

"I'm the strongest member of AVALANCHE, ya' know, defeaters of Sephiroth, saviors of the world? And waking me up this late really pisses me off." Yuffie seethed, bluffing slightly about being the strongest.

The two men laughed, "is that so?" the two said in unison.

"Well," spoke the one to the left again, "sorry to disturb you, miss AVALANCHE."

Yuffie slammed the door, a bit louder than she meant to, but something about the two of them unnerved her.

She made sure to bolt the door, considering putting a chair up against the knob but decided against it. Making her way over to her bed, she figured sleep would be best no matter how awake she was. Just as she grasped her blankets, about to slip into her bed, she heard the door knob refusing to turn as someone from the other side tried to open it.

Yuffie turned around, stricken by fear as she fell down onto the bed, staring at the doorknob as it turned shortly left and right. She repeatedly wished for it to be Vincent, as the feeling of doubt grew more and more each time she thought his name.

"Oh, miss AVALANCHE? Are you sure you won't join us? We'd really like you to." The one that had been on the right's voice came through the door, muffled by the wood.

Yuffie shook her head violently, coming to her senses.

_'Great ninja Yuffie, great ninja Yuffie,' _she chanted assurance in her head as she went for her shuriken. She could probably handle these guys in a matter of seconds, but still, the idea of their intention struck her with fear so hard she was shaking as she held her weapon up, getting into a fighting stance.

The door slammed open, as they both kicked it in, breaking the bolt through the wood and shattering the chain as the small rusted slivers flew about the room. They both walked in, smiles placed on their lips. They moved together, walking swiftly without a sound. Something about the way they moved and held themselves made Yuffie realize they weren't unskilled in battle.

She gulped, gripping her shuriken tighter, glancing swiftly to the open door, the light from the hall offering acceptance.

The one on the right pulled his hands out of his pockets, revealing an incredibly small knife. Yuffie smirked to herself, feeling her confidence return. In one swift movement, she lunged forward, striking him with her shuriken as he attempted to dodge, just barely making it out uninjured as a small red gash appeared on his shoulder, tearing away the threaded black fabric.

Yuffie smiled proudly, getting ready to attack when her nerve wavered as he smiled back. Before she could do anything, she felt a surge of electricity strike through her stomach; she slouched forward, catching glimpse of the small knife she had mocked, but now feared as she watched it pull from her, revealing blood and electricity emitting from the blade.

She coughed, taking a step back, grabbing her side.

She felt her muscles tighten then relax as the sharp pain surged through her whole body. Her knees began to shake as she fell to the floor, her eyes wide.

"Vin…cent…" she mumbled, feeling herself begin to fall forward, her conscious slipping, "Vincent!" She managed to scream out of sheer fear, as everything began to grow blurry through her vision. She felt a rough glove clasp her mouth as she was hoisted from the floor and thrown onto the very bed she had once found comfort in.

"Ugh, way to go; you got her all bloody before we even started." The one on the left's voice slipped past her unconscious guard, as she managed to open her eyes just barely, seeing the two standing above her, arguing.

"Fine, you hate it so much, I'll go first. I'll try to get some of the blood off while I'm at it, 'kay?" The other one spoke, as Yuffie's eyes began to water.

It was like she could feel her life slipping away. It happened so fast, she went into battle expecting it to be easy, and she learned from that horrible mistake. But not as much as she was about to learn now…

She jolted as she felt a clammy hand brush her wound, and heard a deep chuckle so close to her ear that she could feel the hot breath. The heavy weight of the strange man pressed her deeper into the covers, making her cry silently.

Another hand touched her neck, only to be ripped away within seconds. The weight left her with the hand, letting a rush of cold air hit her.

She forced herself to open her eyes; afraid it was simply a cruel way of playing with her, making her think there was hope. But a loud noise made her believe otherwise as her eyes shot open. The vision she saw made her cries become harder, as sobs escaped her mouth, cries of relief.

The man that had been on the left lay unconscious on the floor feet from her; to the right of the room stood Vincent with his hand around the other man's neck, holding him inches from the floor, the man's back against the wall. Vincent pulled out his gun, Cerberus, aiming it at the man with absolutely no expression.

The man pleaded, apologizing in between cracked sobs. Yuffie continued to cry, trying to quiet her own sobs as she watched for the outcome. Vincent let out a scoff, replacing his gun in the holster before pulling the man back, only to slam his head hard into the wall to the point of knocking him out.

Without a second thought, he came over to Yuffie.

"Yuffie" he whispered, his eyes darting from her eyes to the blood streaming from her wound. He reached through his things, pulling out a heal materia. He summoned the green orb, not taking his eyes off of hers, waiting for life to come back to them.

The bleeding stopped, as Yuffie felt the pain finally cease, being replaced by the strange feeling of the wound healing slowly.

"Vincent…" She mumbled, looking up. Even with the wound healed, she couldn't bring herself to sit up. The electric charge really took its toll on her.

Vincent knelt down beside the bed, not seeming to have anything to say, at least, nothing he could put to words.

They sat in silence for a moment, as Yuffie contemplated what exactly had just happened. She felt her stomach where the wound had been, not even a scar left in its place.

"That was a high materia…" she pouted about the loss.

Vincent laughed quietly, a smile never escaping his lips, "I needed it to save your life, Yuffie…" he mumbled, his voice sounding a little hoarse.

"Still…" she mumbled, slowly sitting up on the bed, looking around herself, sourly admiring the dark red stains tainting her blankets and clothing.

Vincent adjusted himself, watching her steadily, in case she collapsed again. Just as she rose, letting the air catch hint of the blood, they both noticed the intense smell of rusty iron.

Yuffie stood up fast, feeling sick to her stomach immediately. Vincent watched, still keeping an eye on her in case her energy left her in an instant like it seemed it should.

"That's awful…" she mumbled.

Vincent stood, looking at her with a hint of curiosity.

She cocked her head, speaking weakly, "I'm fine, Vince. Thank you." She smiled.

He didn't look convinced, making Yuffie sigh.

They both stood quietly, Yuffie looking anywhere but at him, while he stared at her; trying to hide his concern.

"So, what about these dickwads," she hissed, kicking the one on the floor in the side, causing her to wince slightly in pain.

Vincent looked amused at her sudden choice of words, grasping her arm lightly, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Leave them; I'll go alert the clerk about what happened. You can sleep in my room." He lead her to his door that still stood ajar, gesturing with his hand for her to go inside.

"You sleep." He said simply, turning to go down the hall.

"Vincent…" Yuffie stumbled after him.

Turning to face her, Vincent didn't reply, instead he simply waited for her to speak again. But, to his surprise, she didn't say a thing; within seconds she was hugging him, her face buried in his chest, her hair brushing his chin softly.

He stood still for a moment, looking down at her. Her shoulders moved with her breaths as she cried into the fabric of his shirt. Vincent, a bit befuddled, placed his right hand on her shoulder for comfort.

They stood together for a few moments longer before Yuffie pulled back, looking up to smile at him.

Without a word once more, she walked into the room quietly, closing the door behind her. Vincent stared at the chipped wood of the door, taking in what happened before immediately brushing it off; placing it as a memory he should forget.

* * *

Yuffie stepped into the cold room, realizing she still wore her bloody clothes.

_'My shorts are fine…it's just the over shirt…' _she thought to herself, unclasping the orange strap, and the two black buckles that slung over her shoulders, and slipped the soft blue shirt off; leaving her with the simple dark gray fabric, wrinkled from being held up all the time.

She slipped into the bed, laying her head on the pillow hesitantly. The cloth's sent was a mix of cheap fabric softener and Vincent's own musky smell.

Although finding almost absolute comfort where she was, she knew better than to fall asleep.

Nightmares would surely haunt her through the night, and with Vincent most likely taking care of what happened with the clerk the rest of the time they were there, she would have no one to confide him; as much as one could confide in Vincent Valentine.

* * *

A/N: I got a lot of reviews for my last chapter. : 3

So, I decided since I had time today, I'd update early.

Hope you guys liked this one, I'm kinda bad at fight scenes, as small as that one was.

The story is still kinda preparing for the absolute take off into the plot, so I'll probably find writing longer chapters easier.

Thanks for reading!

~Mayune.


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